And the Greatest Gift of Life is to Know Love
by whyyesitscar
Summary: Buffy uses a wish to bring Tara back. Three-shot, and pretty happy.
1. Buffy

**A/N: Okay, so being back at school means I write like a demon, and it's even more pronounced this year because I don't have internet or cable yet, ergo, nothing to do. I'm planning on making this just a three-shot. Basically, every Buffy fan knows about Joss Whedon's plan to bring Tara back sometime in season 7 as a result of a wish Buffy made. Since we were robbed of that in the show, I thought I'd try my hand at it. So put me in the pile of every other Buffy fanfic writer who attempts the same thing. What can I say; I'm a sap. I've got half of the next chapter written, so whenever I get another chance to get online, I'll put it up. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

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**Chapter 1: Buffy**

_"Looks like the Hellmouth is officially closed for business."_

_"There is another one in Cleveland. Not to spoil the moment." _

_"We saved the world."_

_"We **changed** the world. I can feel them, Buffy. All over. Slayers are awakening everywhere."_

_"We'll have to find them."_

_"We will."_

_"Yes, because the mall was actually in Sunnydale, so there's no hope of going there tomorrow."_

_"We destroyed the mall? I fought on the wrong side."_

_"All those shops gone. The Gap, Starbucks, Toys "R" Us. Who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world about them?"_

_"We have a lot of work ahead of us."_

_"Can I push him in?"_

_"You've got my vote."_

_"I just want to sleep, yo, for like a week."_

_"I guess we all could, if we wanted to."_

_"Yeah. The First is scrunched, so... what do you think we should do, Buffy?"_

_"Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"_

_"Yeah, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?"

* * *

_Buffy didn't know how to answer Dawn's question. She knew what she _should_ do: go to Cleveland, close the Hellmouth, find and train the other Slayers…But that wasn't what she wanted to do. She liked Faith's suggestion: go find a hotel and sleep for a week.

After that, she'd sort out the Slayer stuff. She had the whole world ahead of her.

"Buffy?"

"I don't know what to do, Dawn," she said quietly, turning around to answer her sister, only to find herself alone. She crinkled her brows in confusion—everything was missing. No Giles, no bus, no Sunnydale-shaped giant crater. Everything just…was. She could sense it, she just couldn't see it.

"This way, Buffy."

Buffy turned around again, following the voice that she still could not match with a face. "Hello?" she called out. "Look, I just got done fighting a major battle—not really looking forward to another one."

"I'm not here to fight, Buffy." Buffy squinted as a figure started to materialize in front of her, beginning with the edges.

"Cassie?" Buffy blurted in awe, leaning in to see better.

Cassie smiled and nodded.

Buffy, however, remained wary. "You're the First, right?" she said slowly. "I mean, that's what you were before."

Cassie shook her head. "No, it's just me. Only me, this time."

"Why should I believe you?"

Cassie smiled. "I was right about dying, wasn't I? Come on, follow me. I have something to show you."

Against her better judgment, Buffy let herself be led by Cassie. She couldn't say why, but she felt safe. She also couldn't see where they were going. They were getting somewhere, but how Buffy could tell that when everything was an expansive field of white, she didn't know.

Suddenly, Cassie stopped. "Here we are," she said serenely.

"Okay," Buffy drawled. "Where exactly is here?"

_Exactly where you need to be, Buffy Summers_. She felt the voice more than heard it. _We are proud of you_. Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but the voice cut her off. _We know you are suspicious—you think we are the First. Know that if we were, you would be dead. And no, the First can never be completely defeated_. (Buffy pouted). _It can be delayed, and you have delayed it wonderfully, all the while showing admirable strength and unmatched generosity. We have called you here today to bestow upon you a reward._

"Who are you?" Buffy blurted impulsively.

_We are everything and nothing. We are the key to happiness and the pit of despair. We are savage destruction and sublime creation. We are the Powers That Be. We are all that changes the world, and we have decided to change yours as you see fit._

"Huh?"

Buffy could feel the voice smiling. _We are giving you a wish, Buffy. One wish for anything that directly impacts your life or the lives of those close to you. World peace, though a noble wish, is not feasible. Peace must be earned, not given. What you wish for must change __**your**__ world only, not the world as a whole_.

"Anything? I can wish for anything?"

_Yes._

Buffy let go of the breath she'd been unwittingly holding. "Wow. That's…wow. Can I have some time to think about it?"

_Of course._

Buffy turned her back away from the disembodied voice—or at least as away as she could be when she still didn't know where it was. She sat down, feeling very strange to be sitting on something that she couldn't see. But she sat regardless, and she thought.

Anything. She could wish for whatever she wanted. It was a big responsibility—not like she wasn't used to that. But she didn't have to be—she could wish not to be the Slayer. There were dozens, probably hundreds more like her, plus there was always Faith. They could get the job done and she could rest with Angel.

Her heart tightened at the thought of Angel. She could wish for him to be human so they could actually live together. They could grow old together and she wouldn't have to be all wrinkly and slow and cursing his annoyingly young face.

She felt a pang in her chest as she considered those two options. They were awfully selfish wishes, and while Buffy may not have always been right, she had always tried to think of others. Buffy couldn't live if she wasted a wish on just herself when her friends were just as deserving of the benefits of a gift like this. She just wished her mother were around to help her decide.

Her mother—there was an idea. "Um, excuse me, all-knowing guys? I have a question."

_Ask it_.

She fiddled with her finger, too nervous to entertain the notion that they might reject her idea. "Can I…I mean, does the thing I wish for have to be a thing? Or can it be a person? Like, say I wanted to wish for someone to be alive again who…isn't."

_If you wish to bring someone back to life, you may only wish for one person._

Buffy felt hope swell within her chest. "But I can do it?"

_Yes_.

Buffy's heart soared—she could wish her mother back to life. Joyce Summers would once again be alive and healthy. Or maybe she wouldn't be. Buffy frowned—what if she wished her mother back to life, only to bring the tumor back as well? Buffy had some experience with supernatural authorities, and she didn't think they would allow conditions on a wish this generous. The question became: could she risk her mother's life? Could she bring her back when there might be a chance of losing her again?

Buffy briefly considered bring Spike back, but that would be a wish born of selfishness. She might want Spike with her now, but the truth was that she wouldn't always want him. It wouldn't be fair to bring Spike back when she had Angel. If she was going to bring anyone back, it would have to be someone who really deserved to live again.

"Can I talk to someone?"

_We will call her for you._

"How do you know who I'm talking about?"

_All-knowing, remember? Turn around, Buffy. _

Buffy whipped around. It was a second before she remembered to say anything. She couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

"Hi, Anya."

"You lost, didn't you? You lost, and now you're dead. Why couldn't Xander have died? You've already died twice—at least let someone else have a chance."

Buffy stifled a laugh. "Anya, I'm not dead. And we didn't lose."

"Oh." Anya looked surprised only for a second. "Well, I knew that." She nudged Buffy's shoulder playfully with her fist. "So, uh, why are you here?"

"Apparently saving the world has a couple of benefits—the big guys upstairs are giving me one wish. I can wish for anything."

"Okay."

"Anything," Buffy emphasized. "Or anyone."

"Uh huh," Anya said dumbly.

Buffy screwed up her nose in a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Anya, do you want me to wish you back to life?"

Anya's face was unreadable. "You would do that for me?"

Buffy nodded. "And Xander."

Anya's eyes suddenly looked sad. "He still wouldn't marry me."

"I think he would eventually," Buffy said.

Buffy watched as Anya thought it over. "I do miss him," she admitted. "And, you know, the rest of you, too."

"I sense a 'but.'"

Anya nodded slowly. "But I think…I think I can do more good up here. I don't really fit in as a human, and I don't want to be a vengeance demon anymore. I never really wanted to die, but then I did, and I got used to it. I said to myself, "Anya, your death was noble and you will always be celebrated, and maybe now your friends will make a memorial in your honor." I don't want to come back to be lonely again, Buffy. Besides, there aren't any bunnies here."

Buffy nodded. "I understand," she said softly. "We do miss you, you know."

"When you miss someone, I believe it's customary to make a memorial," Anya hinted not-so-subtly.

Buffy chuckled. "I'll see what we can do about that."

_You must make a decision, Buffy Summers. _Buffy turned her head up at the sound of the voice. _Your time is drawing to a close_.

Buffy returned her gaze to Anya. "Anya, I don't know what to do."

Anya looked smug. "Well, I do. You have to wish for her. She wants to come back."

"What?" Buffy asked, confused.

Anya started to grow dimmer. "Tell Xander I love him, won't you?"

"Of course, but—"

"Goodbye, Buffy." Anya vanished, leaving a golden glow that gradually faded.

Buffy stamped her foot in frustration. Who was she supposed to wish back? Her mother probably would want to come back; she always wanted to be around Buffy and Dawn. But Buffy had already vetoed that idea. So who else was left? _If Willow were here, she could probably do a spell to get it out of Anya_, Buffy thought desperately.

Her eyes widened in realization. Willow…

_You are ready to make your decision_, the voice said.

Buffy whipped around, suddenly sure. "Yes."

_She will be disoriented_.

"Yeah, I kinda remember that part," she said bitterly. "But she'll come around, right? I mean, it won't last forever."

_It should only last a few hours_.

Buffy hesitated a little while longer. "I know this is a little cheesy, but…could you make her invisible until it wears off? I kind of want it to be a surprise."

_You have but to think it and she will be seen_.

Buffy smiled. "Thank you."

_You are not the only grateful party, Buffy Summers. We will not forget what you have done for the world._

"I guess this is the part where you tell me to turn around and she's there, right?"

_She will be with you when you return_. _Goodbye, Buffy Summers_.

Buffy gasped—a warm sensation was flooding her body, starting from the inside and migrating all around, swallowing her whole. She closed her eyes and reveled in it, and when she opened them again, she was back with her friends.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Buffy? Are you okay?" She turned around to see Dawn scrutinizing her face, and then her eyes settled on someone behind Dawn's shoulder. Buffy's eyes immediately filled with tears—it had worked.

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

Buffy focused on Dawn once again. "Nothing," she whispered. "I'm just so glad it's over."

Dawn smiled. "Me, too."

"Let's get everyone on the bus, and then we'll find a hotel to crash at. How's that sound?"

Everyone murmured their agreement except for Giles, who remained silent. Buffy raised her eyebrows as they all turned their attention to him.

"Yes, yes, that sounds fine," he said absentmindedly. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Buffy looked once again over Dawn's shoulder. "Never better," she said clearly. "Come on, let's get out of here."

She beckoned for the blonde to follow her as everyone else boarded the bus. Once on board, she took a seat for herself and her guest. To everyone else, she was sitting alone, but Buffy knew that someone was sitting with her, and that was enough for the moment. She rested peacefully and when Giles woke her an hour later, she was happy.

* * *

There were thirty two of them left after the battle. Giles, always a man who planned ahead, had mailed his wallet and checkbook to a friend in the next town over; he had enough money to rent ten rooms at the cheapest hotel they could find. Faith, in a rare fit of altruism, had offered to room with one of the rookie Slayers so she could keep an eye on them all. That left Buffy to split up the rest of them.

She had a bit of a dilemma—it was crucial that Buffy bunk with Willow, but that screwed up the natural pairings. She just had to hope that no one made any major objections, and if they did, well, there was a reason she was the Slayer.

"Okay," she said once Faith had exited with the other Slayers. "Giles, you go with Robin, Xander can room with Andrew, and—"

"Buffy," Willow cut in, "can it just be us tonight, like old times? Sorry, Kennedy," she said as an afterthought.

Kennedy looked only a little perturbed. "Hey, so long as I have a bed, I'm fine."

Buffy smiled. "Great. Dawn, do you mind?" Dawn shook her head. "Looks like it's us again, Will."

Willow smiled and they all went their respective ways. The room was nothing special, but it had a bed that looked especially comfy; Buffy plopped down on top of it and let out a groan of approval. She heard Willow's bed poof as she did the same.

"Feels a little surreal, doesn't it? To go from fighting for our lives to lying in bed like nothing happened."

"Yeah," Willow whispered. "Two hours ago we were all about stopping the apocalypse, and now there are little chocolates on my pillow and tiny shampoo bottles. Makes you think."

Buffy shifted onto her side so she could see Willow. "How you doing?" she asked softly.

Willow turned to look at her, too. "I'm okay. I was just thinking, you know, everything went kablooey and I never really got what that meant. And then on the bus, I looked out the window and everything was gone. I kept thinking, "That's where my house used to be; the school is underground and so is everything else in Sunnydale." The town that I grew up in—it's gone. And then I realized that meant that the cemetery is gone. Tara's grave blew up with everything else. It's like she really left me for good."

Buffy's heart melted. "She's not gone, Will. Not as long as you don't forget her, right?"

Tears sprang to Willow's eyes. "I could never forget her."

"I know."

"I just" —she struggled to speak through her tears— "I get scared that it might be easier to let go, and I don't know if I want to." Buffy didn't know what to say to that, so she kept quiet. Sometimes the best thing to say to a hurting friend was nothing. "I'm gonna go check on Kennedy and Dawn," Willow said as she got up.

Buffy sat up. "Are you sure? Because you don't have to."

Willow wiped her eyes. "No, I want to. We'll talk later?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, of course." She watched Willow grab her key card and leave, and she felt incredible affection for her friend who was probably the strongest of them all. "I love you, Willow Rosenberg," she said with a huge grin. Willow stopped in the doorway and clutched the frame tightly. "You're my best friend."

Willow crossed the room in a flash and threw herself into Buffy's arms. "I love you, too," she whispered hoarsely. They clung tightly to each other for a long time, and when Willow left, Buffy was finally convinced that they would all be okay.

* * *

The minute Willow was gone, Buffy put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on her door and turned to face the other person in the room.

"Hey, Tara," she said gently. "Do you remember who I am?"

Tara's eyes flitted around nervously and looked a little wild, but she didn't look as bad as Buffy remembered feeling. Maybe Anya knew what she was talking about after all. Tara nodded and tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"It's okay if you can't say anything just yet," Buffy quickly placated. "I just want you to listen right now, okay?" Tara nodded again. "Okay. So, um, if you don't remember, well—you kind of died. A little over a year ago." Buffy tried to explain as sensitively as she could—she didn't want to freak Tara out too much. "Anyway, long story short, we all saved the world again and I got to make a wish. You're back for good, Tara. I guess you're stuck with us again."

Tara's eyes widened and filled with tears.

"No, don't feel bad! This was the best wish I could have made." Buffy guided Tara to the bed and sat her down on it. She squatted so she was at eye level and took both of Tara's hands in hers. "We all need you here," Buffy said sincerely. "You're the best of us, Tara, and you weren't supposed to go when you did. Don't do that," Buffy said, protesting Tara's vigorous head shaking. "Don't feel bad at all, okay? You're needed here; you're _wanted_ here," she said fiercely. "We're your family, remember? It hasn't been the same without you." Buffy lowered her voice, playing her trump card. "Willow hasn't been happy. She needs you back. Okay?"

Tara's eyes softened and she finally nodded in acceptance.

Buffy squeezed her hands. "They can't see you yet. All you have to do is tell me when you're ready, and I can change that, okay?" Tara smiled, and Buffy pushed herself up from her knees. "I'm gonna go check in with everyone. Do you want to come?" Tara shook her head. "Okay, well if Willow comes back before me, you'll be okay. She won't see you."

Buffy called down to the front desk to check which room was Xander's before leaving. She was almost gone when she heard a soft sound. Buffy turned around to see Tara standing right behind her.

"Buffy," she croaked. Her voice sounded like it had been out of practice for a while, and she cleared her throat before continuing. "Th-Thank you."

Buffy smiled and hugged Tara comfortingly. "You don't need to thank me," she said. "But you're welcome anyway."

Tara gave a little wave as Buffy left, and Buffy waved back knowing that things could only get better.

* * *

Buffy stood in the hallway of the seventh floor, trying to remember if Xander's room was 7254 or 7245. Of course, they were right across the hall from each other, and she had been racking her brain for two minutes when she heard a voice.

"Mr. Giles said you had to share with me. If you hog all the stuff in the minibar, I'll take all the mini shampoos," a high-pitched voice complained.

"You can have all the mini shampoos you want, Andrew," Xander snapped. "I'm sure I'll really miss them running into my one good eye."

There was a silence, and Buffy could almost see Andrew craning his neck and thinking. "Do you wear your eye patch when you shower?"

Buffy knocked, saving Xander the trouble of answering, which was probably why he looked so relieved to see her at the door.

"Oh, thank God," he sighed. "I can't take this guy anymore."

Buffy chuckled. "I'm sorry."

"You know, you could have put me with Giles. Then at least _I _get to be the annoying one."

"Oh, yeah, like that would have worked—can you imagine Robin with Andrew?"

Xander considered the scenario. "Yeah, he'd punch Andrew in a second," he concluded.

"Come on." Buffy motioned with her neck for Xander to follow. "Least I can do is let you take a walk with me for an hour or so."

Xander smiled gratefully. "Sixty minutes of heaven coming right up." He closed the door with a parting admonishment to Andrew, and they walked in silence for a moment. "So what's this talk all about?"

"Wait 'til we get outside. I just wanna walk for a while."

"Okay." Xander linked arms with her, and as they opened the door to the cool air, Buffy felt herself relax for the first time in two years. She watched the sun set, noticed the way the oranges and reds played on the clouds and made the sky seem that much more alive. There was no overwhelming guilt, no stifling obligations, and no reason for her to worry. It was almost akin to how she felt before she became the Slayer, but it was better because she knew that she made a difference, and that she made the _right_ difference. A part of her would always long to be a normal girl, but the bigger part realized that her life would be normal, too—normal and boring. She wouldn't have Willow, or Xander, or Dawn or Giles. She wouldn't have friends to keep her alive.

Xander squeezed her arm, snapping her out of her reverie. "Does this have something to do with when you went all spacey on us back there?"

Buffy looked up at him. "How long was I spacey for?"

"Oh, about thirty seconds," he said. "Not too long, but just long enough for us to notice."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, it does. It starts with that, and I hope it ends with you not being mad at me."

"Buffy, you just saved the world. Why would I be mad at you?"

"When I was all spacey back there, it was because I was talking to a higher power."

"A…_crazy_ higher power?"

Buffy laughed. "No, listen." She explained about the wish and went through her thought process as they walked. Xander was silent as they took lefts and rights down unfamiliar streets; he listened as they passed from streetlights to shadows and back again. He didn't react at all when she told him about Angel or her mother or Spike. But she stopped herself before she got to Anya, because she was fairly certain he would react to that.

"Buff, that still doesn't sound like anything I would be angry about."

"I talked to Anya," she finally said.

Xander missed a step. "You what?"

"Well, see, I was going to wish for my mom to be alive again, but then I thought that was probably the wrong thing to do. It was a little selfish, I guess. I thought it over, and I figured wishing Anya back would be a pretty awesome thing to do."

"Yuh huh!"

"I just had to check with her, to see if she actually wanted to come back. I figured, you know, I know a thing or two about resurrections, and you really need to do them right because you don't get many chances."

"Did you bring her back?" Xander asked softly.

"She loves you," Buffy said in lieu of an answer. "And she's in a place without bunnies."

"Guess that's a no then."

"Yeah," Buffy murmured. Xander was silent for a long moment. "Are you okay?"

"Let me get this straight," Xander began. "You saved the world, almost used your one wish to bring back my dead girlfriend, and you think I'm going to be _mad_ at you?"

Buffy smiled. "Well, it's more about who I decided to bring back instead," she said nervously.

"Who?"

She stopped and turned to look at Xander. "Tara," she said quietly.

Buffy was prepared for Xander to ask a million questions, maybe berate her a little. Instead, he scooped her up in his arms and hugged the life out of her.

"Xander, I'm the one who gives back-breaking hugs," she managed to eke out despite being slowly crushed.

He let go with a tear-strained laugh. "Sorry," he said. "I just…thanks."

Buffy smiled. "You're welcome." She nudged him with her shoulder. "Didn't know you liked Tara that much."

Xander smiled, too. "I don't. I mean, I like her just fine—probably a little more than fine, actually. She really took the reins when you were, you know, dead. She made it okay for Dawn, you know?" Buffy nodded. "But I love Willow more than anything in this world, and you just gave her happiness. I can't thank you enough." He crooked his head. "You really thought I'd be mad?"

Buffy smiled sincerely and squeezed Xander's arm. "I just didn't want you to think, "Well, she did this great thing for Willow; why don't I get that same chance?" You're my heart, Xander. I didn't want you to hurt. Nobody likes to be heartbroken."

Xander clenched his jaw. "Love you, too, Buff," he said gruffly.

Buffy smiled and gave him a chance to compose himself. "Okay," she said, stopping in her tracks. "Where the hell are we?"

Xander looked around. "Oh, you know, somewhere between the city limits and "Come hitch a ride with me; I've got this nice, freshly-sharpened axe in the back seat.""

Buffy chuckled. "Guess it's time to go home, then." She wrestled her arm from his and wrapped it around his back. He draped his arm across her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Lead the way, Buffy. You know I'll always follow you."

"I don't want to lead right now," she said. "Let's do this together."

So they did.


	2. Tara

**Chapter 2: Tara**

It wasn't what she had imagined, being back. Tara had always hoped, in the back of her mind, that she would be brought back to life. Normally, she wouldn't want to mess with the natural order of things—you know, life and death—but she knew that how she went wasn't fair. She and Willow had just barely gotten another chance; it wasn't her time to go when she had so much more to do.

Even when she got to heaven, she felt like a visitor. Joyce had found her and welcomed her, but she had never made Tara feel like she belonged. Almost everyone up there was omniscient, and Tara got the sense that they knew about a plan for her. Maybe that's why she never felt the same way—because she wasn't supposed to stay there for very long. She didn't get to know everything because it wasn't her time to know it forever. So she stayed and made the most of it, talking to Joyce and her own mother. When she saw Spike, she hugged him and he told her what happened since she'd been gone. Most of it she already knew—at least the part about Willow—but it was nice to know that the Scoobies had been successful in their most recent battle. And when he told her of Buffy's declaration of love, she'd smiled and said, "I knew it." She wouldn't listen to Spike's protestations that Buffy was wrong; she'd simply told him to think about his relationship with Buffy and then decide whether she meant it.

Tara saw Anya shortly after, and her heart broke for Xander. The former vengeance demon, so aloof in life, had smiled when they locked eyes and explained that Buffy was on her way. _Does that mean?_ Tara had asked nervously. Anya had smiled and told her that Buffy wasn't dead (and neither was Xander, apparently to Anya's great chagrin). Tara smiled. _That wasn't what I was talking about_, she'd said with a small laugh. _But I'm glad to hear it_.

In the end, Buffy's presence meant exactly what Tara had hoped, and she soon found herself standing mute in a world she never thought she'd see again. She could see Willow and Giles and Xander and Dawn—all looking worse for the wear, but gloriously alive—and she wanted to hug them all and cry and tell them she was back for good. But her tongue didn't work, and her brain was forming the words too slowly. So she followed Buffy—that, from her experience, had always been the best thing to do.

* * *

In her mind, she had envisioned coming back to a welcome party and a lot of tears. But her resurrection was quiet and unannounced, much like she had been her whole life. It gave her the chance she hadn't realized she needed to regroup. Tara had some sense of what Buffy had experienced not long ago—it was jarring to be back in the world. In the back of her mind, Tara wasn't bothered because it was what she'd always wanted, but for someone like Buffy, who had sacrificed everything and who was content to spend her afterlife at ease and safe, it must have been terrifying. Still, she seemed to jump at every little noise, and her eyes watered with the brightness of it all.

Buffy succeeded in calming her down and explaining things in the hotel room, and when she left, Tara laid back on the bed and thought. Words seemed to flow more easily in her mind than out loud, and flow they did—soothing at first, then frenetic like a patch of rapids in an otherwise still river. She thought about Willow mostly, and how she longed to see her again. She wondered if Willow had changed at all, if she would even be receptive to Tara.

Tara wasn't stupid; from the brief conversations she had observed, she could tell that Kennedy was Willow's girlfriend. She was probably a nice enough person, but Tara didn't give her too much thought. She knew that Willow was hers, and would always be hers. If Kennedy entered Tara's mind at all, she was always accompanied by sadness; Tara knew that losing Willow meant losing a lot. She felt bad for Kennedy because all three of them knew that she wasn't enough. Given a choice between Tara and anyone else, Willow would always choose Tara (provided that she was available, of course.) Kennedy was playing second fiddle. Tara just hoped that she wouldn't make too much of a fuss; she felt bad enough about this whole thing as it was.

Willow came back to the room twenty minutes after Buffy left; Tara watched her move, watched the way her shoulders sagged as she absentmindedly flipped through television channels; she watched her eyelids sag, though from fatigue or sadness, she couldn't tell. She watched as tears welled up in Willow's eyes but never fell. Tara almost called out; she almost got up to comfort her, but it wasn't the right time. Willow needed to sort through some things first before Tara could swoop in and save her.

She needed to be ready to be saved first.

* * *

A little over an hour later, Tara was getting restless. Willow had gotten up to go to the bathroom, so she made a break for the door, hoping to get out before Willow noticed anything strange. She leapt across the room as quietly as she could with as few steps as possible. The door creaked a little when she turned the knob, but she was out in a moment with the ease of a cat.

Tara looked to her left and right, self-consciously checking for people who couldn't see her anyway. Buffy was at the end of the hallway and walking towards her with Xander in tow; Tara motioned furiously for Buffy to follow her before darting around a corner.

"Xander, I, uh, just forgot that I…um, well, I forgot something, and I've gotta go…that way," Buffy fumbled. Tara chuckled quietly.

"Sure," Xander replied understandingly. "Say hi for me."

In a second, Buffy was next to her and smiling sheepishly. "Xander says hi," she mumbled.

Tara smiled. "Yeah, I heard. Did you tell anyone else?"

"No, absolutely not," Buffy replied quickly. "I just had to tell Xander because of Anya and I didn't want him to feel bad, and—"

"Buffy, it's okay," Tara cut in. "I get it."

Buffy smiled, relieved, and nodded. "You seem to be recuperating a lot better than I did. Barely three hours old and you're already talking. That's gotta be some kind of record."

Tara bowed her head. "Well, I'm not exactly an unwilling participant."

Buffy laughed. "Thank God for that." She jammed her hands into her pockets and they both stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say. Tara was bursting with gratitude; she wanted to shower Buffy with praise and hugs and wonderful things. But Buffy had never been great at taking compliments, and that didn't seem like it was about to change.

She figured, however, that one hug wasn't going to break the Slayer, and when Buffy hugged her back, she smiled with pride.

* * *

"Willow's back," Tara said as they broke apart. "She looked kinda sad."

Buffy's eyebrows immediately contracted in concern. "Like giant 'my-girlfriend-just-got-shot' sad or 'gee-I-really-wanted-that-last-doughnut' sad?"

Tara laughed. "Probably more like 'I-need-my-best-friend' sad."

Buffy eyed her shrewdly. "You really are a witch, huh?" Tara smiled. "Well, I guess we better get back. Do you want to, um…?" Buffy trailed off, not really knowing the best way to say "Do you want to be visible and alive again?"

Tara shook her head. "Soon, though."

Buffy nodded and they both walked back to the room. Buffy opened the door quietly and peeked her head in, checking to see if Willow was asleep. The curtains were closed and dark was beginning to settle in, but Willow was curled on her side, eyes wide open. Tara walked quietly to a desk chair and sat down; out of the corner of her eye, she could see Buffy trying her hardest not to look at her.

"Hey, Will," Buffy murmured. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," she said quietly. "I just…I wish Tara was here right now, you know? And then I feel bad for thinking that because of Kennedy, but I can't stop it. I can't stop wanting her with me all the time. We just went through this giant ordeal, and the first thing I thought of was, "I want to snuggle with Tara." She was my everything, Buffy, and I never slept as well as I did with her. I just want to sleep and be happy."

Buffy turned surreptitiously to Tara and raised her eyebrows; _soon enough?_ her eyes asked. _Not yet_, Tara mouthed.

Tara watched as Buffy laid down next to Willow, whispering soothing words and reassuring her. Willow relaxed and sunk into her pillow. She smiled at Buffy, and sometimes she cried a little; sometimes Buffy cried, too. It didn't really matter what was said—Tara knew that Willow just needed Buffy to be there, and to understand. She fell asleep after a few minutes, and Tara jumped at her chance to talk to Buffy again. She signaled for Buffy to join her in the bathroom and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen on the way.

Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but Tara shushed her.

_I don't want her to hear_, she wrote.

Buffy nodded. _What's up?_ She wrote back.

_Can people hear me even if they don't see me?_

Buffy scrunched up her nose in thought. _I don't know, I never really asked._ Her eyes lit up with an idea. _We could test it on Xander?_

Tara nodded and Buffy went to make a phone call.

While Buffy was talking to Xander, Tara crept as close to Willow's bed as she dared. The urge to stroke her hair was ridiculously tempting, and every time Tara thought she'd beaten it, Willow would stir a little and another strand would fall across her face.

Buffy saved her by telling her it was time to go, and once again, Tara left Willow all alone.

* * *

"So, what's with the second walk, Buff? Trying to go for extra credit?"

Buffy smiled. "More like testing a theory. Is it cool if I experiment on you?"

Xander threw his arms open wide. "Be my guest. There's a whole lot worse you could do—and _have done_—to me than test a theory."

Buffy nodded, then cleared her throat and flicked her eyes from Tara to Xander.

Tara stepped closer to the both of them and raised herself on her feet so she was near Xander's ear. "Hi, Xander," she said clearly.

Xander, for his part, yelped like a little girl. He only regained his composure once Buffy and Tara started laughing at him. "Hey, crazy ghost girl," he said as he paid too much attention to straightening his shirt. "Good to see you…or, _not_ see you," he amended.

Buffy turned triumphantly to Tara. "Guess that's a yes then."

Tara nodded. "Theory tested successfully."

Xander still looked uncomfortable. "I'd hug you for real, but I'm thinking you might feel suspiciously like air." Tara poked him in the side. "Then again, maybe not," he said, yelping again.

Tara threw herself at his chest and giggled as he felt clumsily around her back. "It really is good to see you," he murmured sincerely.

Tara smiled. "You, too." Buffy cleared her throat after a minute; Tara turned her head and stepped away quickly—to the people passing in the hallway, Xander was hugging air. They exchanged awkward smiles with the couple as they passed, laughing when they were finally out of earshot.

"Well, that's something else I can add to my list of things I'd never thought I'd do," Xander quipped.

"And just think," Buffy replied, "in a few hours, you'll never have to do it again. Hopefully," she added with a frown.

Tara laughed. "We should get back to the room."

Xander nodded and began walking away. "See you both soon?"

Buffy nodded with a smile. "Definitely."

Tara and Buffy watched Xander walk away; though he could only see one of them smiling, Tara liked to believe that if she grinned the widest grin she could, he'd be able to feel it.

"You're gonna have to come clean soon, you know."

Tara looked sideways at Buffy. "Yeah, I know. I know I've only got a few hours left. But it just doesn't feel right yet. A part of me thinks, "God, how cute would it be if she just woke up to feel me lying next to her in bed?" And then I think that I owe her more than that, more than a surprise."

Buffy smiled. "I think either way she's going to be surprised, Tara."

"No, I know, but I don't want her to wake up and think she's still dreaming, that's all. I want her to be really alert when I finally show her."

Buffy stopped in front of the door and dug around for her key card. "Okay. I get that. Alert-Willow is always better than sleepy-Willow." She clicked the door open and they both tiptoed into the room.

"Were you talking to someone?" Willow asked as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Uh, yeah," Buffy said, making it up as she spoke. "Dawn, actually. She came by to see if you, uh, wanted to…go to dinner! Yeah. But I told her you were sleeping, unless, you do want to go down?" She raised her eyebrows hopefully.

Willow sat up slowly. "Yeah, I guess so. Can't stay in here forever."

"Great!" Buffy said a little too enthusiastically. She turned to Tara and gave her the thumbs up. "I'll, uh, just call everyone and we'll meet them down there!"

"Okay," Willow said, looking strangely at Buffy as she put on her shoes. "I guess we should go then."

"We should," Buffy agreed. "I'll follow you," she said, gesturing for both Willow and Tara to go ahead of her. Tara followed Willow and pressed her hand to Buffy's. She didn't look back as she heard Buffy open the note she had so secretly placed in her hand, but she could almost feel Buffy smiling.

_Looks pretty alert to me_.

* * *

Not everyone came down for dinner. Most of the potentials stayed in their rooms and slept; the Scoobies, however, were too wired to do anything but eat. They alone knew the significance of what had just happened, how much the world had changed, and it wasn't really putting their minds at ease. Tara was happy to walk with Buffy and Willow like it was any other normal day—like she really was alive again.

She couldn't help smiling when she saw all the familiar faces: Giles, Dawn, Xander—she wasn't even that put out about seeing Faith or Andrew. Tara knew they were good people at heart. The only stranger in the room was a girl who looked like she had a strong propensity for kicking ass. Tara figured that was Kennedy.

Everyone smiled at Buffy when they saw her; Xander's was accompanied by a knowing glint in his eye. Buffy nodded so slightly that only Tara caught it.

"So, who's hungry, yo? I could totally go for a massive pizza. Maybe with a lot of onions and some sausage…" Faith kept talking about her perfect pizza until Giles shut her up; he assumed leadership and soon people were debating about pizza toppings and crust styles. Tara tuned all of them out and watched Willow, who was only halfheartedly joining the conversation.

"Guys, why don't we just get a million cheese and pepperoni pizzas?" Buffy cut in after the dull hum of voices escalated to a roar.

"I don't like pepperoni," Dawn whined.

"So eat the cheese," Buffy countered.

"Well, I don't like cheese," Andrew added.

"So eat the pepperoni!"

Tara almost snorted at Buffy's frustration, but she knew that 1) it wouldn't be appreciated, and 2) other people would hear her, and that could lead to some confusion. Instead, she let the scene play out and readjusted herself to a Scoobie lifestyle.

It wasn't always easy being a Scoobie. There was a lot of adrenaline and fighting vampires, and very little time to be a regular girl. It was a difficult transition at first, at least for Tara. She was used to be a regular girl—that's who she had been her entire life. Sure, there was the whole demon thing, and yeah, she had powers, but otherwise she was pretty average. No one really noticed her because she wasn't extraordinary; at least, that was what she had been told by her family.

But Willow was different. Willow made her extraordinary, and that's why Tara wouldn't have changed a thing about her life with the Scoobies. Fighting vamps and other miscellaneous demons, getting brain-sucked, getting shot—she could handle it all if Willow was there for her. Tara thought that she could do anything she wanted if Willow was by her side.

She snapped her attention back to the still-arguing group. Buffy looked fed up, like she was too tired to try and urge everyone toward a consensus. Faith was admirably trying to take control, but everyone kept looking toward Giles; Tara had a feeling that he would always be the ultimate authority to the Scoobies—Buffy may have been the Slayer, but Giles had always been the adult.

Tara watched them quarrel; she watched Xander make sarcastic (and ultimately useless) comments; she watched Andrew veto every suggestion; she watched Giles fail as he tried to calm everyone in his quiet, unassuming British way.

She watched Willow watch everyone else, and it was that that made up her mind.

She tapped Buffy lightly on her shoulder.

"Hm?" Buffy turned around and realized it was Tara. "Can you believe this? We can work together to save the world, but we can't agree on a lousy pizza."

Tara laughed. "Well, I bet I can think of a way to shut them up."

Buffy looked at her in confusion before realization dawned in her eyes. "Really? Now?" Tara nodded. "Great! Let me just get their attention."

Tara shuffled to her left a bit while Buffy quieted everyone down. She positioned herself so that she had the best view of Willow and so that, when she was visible again, Willow would have the best view of her.

"Guys! Can you please just shut up for one second?" Buffy yelled. "I have something to show you."

"What is it?" Giles asked.

"I, um…try not to yell too loudly or anything, okay?"

Tara heard Buffy take a deep breath, but that was it. She kept her focus trained on Willow, not wanting to let her out of her sight for a second. She didn't know what Buffy was doing, but something was certainly happening—she could feel her body getting warmer; it tickled like she was in a full-body massage chair. Her hair whipped out to the sides and a breeze ruffled her clothes. And as soon as it had come, it was gone. But Tara was back.

There were gasps and cries of delight, but Tara only had eyes for the redhead whose face was slowly filling with wonder and awe.

Tara grinned as if she'd never stop, and suddenly, the world was right again.

* * *

**A/N: Second to last chapter! I bet you guys won't need three guesses for whose viewpoint the next one is going to be from. (If you do, here's a hint: it rhymes with "pillow.") The big reveal/everyone's reactions will be in that one, so you'll have to hang on until then =]. Review if you enjoyed this one (and even if you didn't).**


	3. Willow

**A/N: If you want me to write something, either 1) deprive me of internet access, 2) put me on a bus for four hours, or 3) do both. Number three is why you have this third (and last) chapter. Thanks for all the reviews, guys; they've been much appreciated. Enjoy!

* * *

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**Chapter 3: Willow**

Willow was dreaming. She had to be; otherwise, it made no sense for Tara to be standing less than ten feet away. She was feeling sad after the creation of Crater City, and she was conjuring up familiar and safe images to comfort herself. Or maybe she was hallucinating—she had made herself turn into Warren, right? It wasn't out of the realm of possibility. The Tara standing in front of her was either a hallucination or a dream. Willow shouldn't—_couldn't_—get her hopes up.

And yet if she was dreaming, why would everyone else be as surprised as she was? Wouldn't her mind make a situation where Tara had never died, where everyone was still used to her being…alive? And if Tara was a hallucination, then only Willow would see her, right? So what was this—a final way for Tara to say goodbye?

Dawn was the first person to stir, squealing a half-sob, half-laugh as she threw herself forcefully into Tara's arms. Xander smiled and thrust his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels triumphantly like a proud brother. Giles, overcome with emotion but too British to show it, spent more time cleaning his glasses than usual. Buffy looked at everyone frantically, trying to decide if people's reactions were the ones she wanted.

Willow could only stare, her jaw gaping and eyes unblinking.

"Say something, Will," Buffy prompted anxiously.

"I…wha…why? _How_?" Willow spluttered incoherently.

"I can explain later," Buffy said. "Say something else."

"I don't…I ca-can't do this now," she hiccupped. She turned on her heels and ran fast. She had to get away, and Willow found herself in her hotel room in mere moments. She had barely gotten through the door before she collapsed and cried like she'd never stop.

* * *

Willow knew the knock was coming; she had expected it even before she ran away. She just hoped that there wasn't an ambush waiting for her on the other side. She could only handle so much in one day.

Thankfully, it was only Buffy.

"You didn't have to knock," Willow murmured. "You have a key."

"I know," Buffy replied. "I just figured you'd need a heads up. I owe you that much, considering that I just made your head explode."

"I don't understand, Buffy. How is this happening? Is she back? Is she even…real?" Willow asked, feeling like her questions were stupid.

Buffy smiled. "Yes to everything. Yes, she's real; yes, she's back; yes, she still loves you. All yes."

Willow didn't even feel the tears on her cheeks anymore. "But, I mean, she died. I tried to bring her back, and it didn't work because she didn't die a mystical death, and I just…if I couldn't do it, how did you? Not that you're not super awesome, because you are, it's just that—I'm all about the magicks, and you're all…not, and—"

"Willow. You're babbling. Let me talk." Buffy needed to make sure that Willow not only heard her, but listened, too. "I kind of had an…experience after we closed the Hellmouth. See, there are these things, the Powers That Be—"

"Yeah," Willow nodded. "The all-knowing guys who help people in bad situations, right? Bending fate and all that kind of stuff?"

Buffy was surprised for only a second; sometimes she forgot that Willow was like a walking encyclopedia. "Yeah, those guys. Anyway, they came to me, or I came to them or something, and they told me "Blah, blah, blah, you've saved the world again and that's a good thing," and they said I could wish for anything I wanted as a reward."

"So you wished for Tara to be alive again?" Willow whimpered. "Buffy…" Fresh tears spilled out of her eyes, warming her cheeks and blurring her vision. "I can't believe you did that."

"I told you I love you, Will." Buffy's voice was hoarse, yet sincere.

"Yeah, but you could have wished for _anything_!" Willow protested.

Buffy took Willow's hands in hers. "Listen to me, Willow. The Powers That Be told me that I could wish for anything that changed my world or the world of those around me. I had to wish for something noble, something that would really be worthy of a wish. I had to wish for something that I wasn't going to get otherwise."

Buffy made it sound so simple, like there wasn't any other choice _but_ to wish Tara back to life. But Willow knew that wasn't the case. There were a lot of things Buffy could have wished for—Angel's soul, Spike, her mother. It wasn't a simple thing—if it were, Tara would have been brought back when Willow tried to resurrect her. Willow felt like a bit of a failure—here Buffy was, considerably less invested in Tara's life than Willow, and all she had to do was say that she wanted Tara back and _poof!_ She got her wish. Meanwhile, Willow, a witch with considerable power and influence, went to hell and back and still couldn't do anything to change Tara's fate. She felt guilty—not because Buffy had done her an immense favor, but because she wasn't able to do it in the first place for Tara.

"Are you okay, Willow?" Buffy asked hesitantly.

Willow nodded hesitantly. "I'm just processing stuff. I don't really know what to do," she admitted.

Buffy smiled understandingly. "You don't always have to know what to do. It's okay to be confused."

"Is she really back?" Willow blurted. She just couldn't believe it was that easy.

"Yes," Buffy said immediately, her voice confident. "She really is."

Willow wanted to throw herself at Buffy and hug her until she fell asleep, but she didn't think her arms were strong enough to lift themselves. Instead, she grabbed Buffy's hand and squeezed it for all she was worth. And she cried some more.

* * *

A frightening thought popped into Willow's mind. "What do I do about Kennedy? I mean, I can't—Tara, and, and I don't know…" she babbled, knowing that even if she couldn't get the words out, Buffy would understand what she was trying to say.

"Well, you have to be fair to her," Buffy said wisely. "But you're not picking her, are you?"

Willow deflated a little bit. "I can't. You know I can't. I just…" She trailed off, not really wanting to admit that she was a little scared of how Kennedy would react.

Buffy seemed to understand her dilemma. "If she tries to punch you, I'll take her down," she said, only half-joking.

Willow chuckled. "No punching would be good."

Buffy eased herself off the bed. "You ready to go down there again? Everyone's waiting."

Willow took a deep breath and followed Buffy's lead. "Yeah. I can't put it off forever."

It was like an out-of-body experience, walking down the hall. Willow knew what she was doing, but she was aware that something else was moving her body. She was surprised every time she took a step because she didn't remember telling her leg to move.

Buffy was right; everyone was waiting. Tara was surrounded by a happy throng of friends; she was smiling and looked more confident than Willow had ever seen her before. Dawn was crying and had her arm wrapped around Tara's waist; Giles had his arms crossed across his chest and a giant grin on his face. Even Faith was smiling.

Buffy backed away from Willow, letting her go over to Tara by herself. But Willow couldn't make herself move; she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of her. She could feel happiness radiating from everyone, and she wanted to bask in it a little while longer.

Xander was the first to notice her. "Well, this has been great and Tara, I'll talk to you later, but I have to, uh…you know, I can't even come up with a sarcastic comment. Willow's back, you guys. Let's get out of here." He walked past Willow and gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

Willow watched as everyone filed past her, each wearing a beaming smile. Except for Kennedy; she looked sad, which was why Willow stopped her.

"Can we talk?" she asked timidly.

Kennedy's eyes seemed to harden. "I guess we have to."

Willow's heart sunk—this was not going to be an easy conversation. She led Kennedy off to the side, away from anyone else, especially Tara (but still in view of Buffy—she hoped Buffy hadn't been kidding earlier).

"I think you know what I'm going to say," Willow murmured.

Kennedy crossed her arms defiantly. "Yeah, I do. And I'm still gonna make you say it."

Willow sighed. "Okay." She looked Kennedy directly in the eyes. "I can't be with you anymore, Kennedy."

Hurt flashed across Kennedy's gaze only for a second—she was too proud to show it, but Willow saw it anyway. "Because of Tara," she said coldly.

Willow nodded. "I'm sorry." She felt like she owed Kennedy more of an explanation, but there wasn't really anything more to say. It wasn't a complicated issue, it was simple: Tara would always trump anyone else.

Kennedy threw her one last glare and scoffed as she walked away, leaving Willow alone with Tara for the first time in a year and a half. Willow suddenly found herself wishing for Kennedy to come back—at least then she wouldn't be so terrified. She walked toward Tara, making sure to keep a safe distance.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Hey yourself," Tara whispered back. "I guess Buffy explained everything."

"Pretty much," Willow nodded. She flicked her head in the direction Kennedy had been walking. "I guess you know about Kennedy."

"Pretty much," Tara nodded.

"I broke up with her," Willow said, careful not to let Tara know how she felt about it.

"Oh," Tara said. Willow could tell she wasn't sure how to respond. "That's, um, that's—I'm sorry."

It was the genuine look of sympathy in Tara's eyes that spurred Willow to action. Willow had forgotten how selfless Tara was, and the fact that she could be sincerely sad when, by all rights, she should be jumping for joy, only made Willow love her more. So instead of saying anything, she launched herself at Tara and kissed her fiercely, letting her lips speak without words. The rest of the world faded into nothingness, and Willow felt like she was flying—Tara's arms were wrapped tightly around her and they were the only ones that existed, them and their lips and tongues and fingers that felt deeply around each other, probing hearts and souls and getting underneath each other's skin. Willow tingled all over and she never wanted to breathe again if it meant that she and Tara had to breathe separately.

Eventually, though, she needed some fresh air, and she broke away from Tara reluctantly, her breath leaving in ragged gasps.

"That was one for the record books," a voice called out.

Willow closed her eyes and leaned against Tara's forehead, smiling. "Kennedy didn't punch me, Buffy. You can go now."

Buffy's voice rang with laughter and amusement. "Try telling that to everyone else."

Willow turned around just in enough time to see Dawn flying at them. She barely had time to register the crowd of five smiles gathered behind Buffy before Dawn knocked her back a step and crushed her in a tight hug.

"This is the greatest day of my life," she managed to say between sobs as she buried her head in Willow's shoulder.

"Mine, too," Willow choked out. "Although it might end prematurely if you don't stop trying to break me in half."

Dawn laughed and let go. "Sorry," she said as she swiped tears from her eyes. "I just love you guys."

"Yeah, I remember," Willow said, laughing as she watched Dawn fling herself at Tara once again. She took the brief respite as an opportunity to bury herself in Xander's chest.

"Something tells me you knew what was going on, Mr. Secretive," she teased.

He rested his chin on her head. "Yeah, I did. Buffy told me."

"Why?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter right now. Just be happy."

Well, that was easy enough. She could do that.

* * *

The moon had been up in the sky for at least three hours, but Willow felt like the sun would never stop shining on her, at least not for a long, long time. She and Tara had retired to their hotel room—Buffy had moved in with Dawn because Kennedy had apparently left. (Willow had looked at Buffy shrewdly when this happened; she had a funny feeling that this was Buffy's plan all along).

People probably thought that she and Tara were having a giant sex-a-thon; the conspiratorial glances that Xander and Faith had thrown her when they went their separate ways certainly supported that theory. In reality, Willow and Tara were just lying in bed wrapped up in each other. The naughty parts would come when they did; for now, Willow just wanted to make sure that Tara wasn't going to go anywhere.

"You don't have to squeeze me so hard," Tara said playfully. "I really am here for good."

Willow smiled. "Witch," she teased. "You used to love it when I squeezed you."

Tara ran a slender finger through Willow's hair. "Oh, I still do. I'm just saying."

Willow smiled and snuggled deeper into Tara's chest. She closed her eyes, sighing as she melted into Tara's touch. She couldn't remember how she'd ever gotten over everything that had happened, because Tara's presence gave her life. She didn't know how she'd made it without knowing that she could come home to Tara, without knowing that someone always worried about where she was, even if she was in the next room. It was intoxicating, being in Tara's arms again. She was finally safe.

"You okay, baby?" Tara asked gently. It was only then that Willow realized she'd been crying.

It was only then that Willow realized how close she'd come to losing everything. Fear hit her in waves, fear that she might lose Tara again, and warm tears spilled down her cheeks. "I got so lost, Tara," she cried.

Tara sat Willow up so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "I know, baby. I know. But I found you. I will _always_ find you." She cupped Willow's cheeks and kissed her tenderly; in that kiss, Willow found her reason for living. She found her sanity, her direction—her purpose.

She found her home.

* * *

"I've been speaking to some Watchers in Cleveland—they say that demonic activity has increased tremendously ever since we closed our Hellmouth." Giles leaned back in his chair and brushed a hand over his face.

"Thanks, Captain Happy," Xander commented.

Buffy threw him a reproachful glare. "We should probably get down there soon."

"As soon as possible," Giles agreed.

"Give us a few days, _Dad_," Buffy mocked. "Some rest would do us all good."

"Besides, some of the other girls and I want to check out the pool," Dawn added.

"It's a giant square of water," Willow said. "What more do you need to know?"

Tara ran a comforting hand over Willow's thigh. "Baby, some people actually _like_ swimming," she chided.

"Yeah, well, some people haven't experienced the wrong end of a crab," Willow scoffed.

She was prepared to brood over that memory for at least a full two minutes, but Giles snickered, and then Xander laughed, and pretty soon everyone had dissolved into debilitating fits of laughter. Willow couldn't help herself; she laughed until her sides hurt and she had to lean on Tara for support.

This truly was the best day of her life. It was the beginning—of a new chapter in her life, of exciting adventures, of making life-changing discoveries.

It was the beginning of happiness, and all she had to do was smile and let it sweep her up.


End file.
